Information & advice

Things you can do in your day to day life to help control pain
This information is designed to help you manage your chronic pain condition.  It offers practical advice, information, exercises and lists other services and groups that may be useful to you.

There are a number of things that can help control your pain. For example:
- Taking painkillers as prescribed by your G.P. or Consultant
- Gentle exercise and movement done on a regular basis
- Relaxation and deep breathing techniques (books and tapes are available for these in most libraries)
- Be aware of good posture and change your position regularly
- Heat or cold.  You can try either a cold or heat pack for 10-15 minutes.  Take care not to burn yourself!

Some helpful suggestions for avoiding neck, shoulder and arm pain
- Improve your posture by being more aware of how you are sitting or standing
- Adjust the seat of your car or your office chair properly
- Climb up rather than reach up
- Don’t work for too long in one position
- Sleep with 1 or 2 pillows and preferably on your side or back.  Avoid sleeping on your front.  A medium-firm mattress will give you good support
- Do not sit up in bed propped up on pillows – it is best to have a chair close by to sit on
- Learn to relax.  Neck pain can often be aggravated by muscle tension.  A relaxation tape or CD may help

Advice for Sufferers of Back Pain
Standing
- Avoid prolonged standing, but if necessary shift your weight from one foot to the other

Sitting
- To sit down bend your hips and knees and lower yourself into the chair using your hands if necessary
- It is important to maintain strength in your leg muscles and using them regularly in this way will help
- Do not sit in a low chair and avoid slouching.  Push your chair as close as possible to your table or desk, so that you do not have to bend forward
- Avoid prolonged sitting

Sleeping
- Sleep with 1 or 2 pillows and preferably on your side or back.  Avoid sleeping on your front.  A medium-firm mattress will give you good support
- Do not sit up in bed propped up on pillows – it is best to have a chair close by to sit on

Reaching
- Avoid reaching up to get something from a height – preferably use steps
- Always hold the object as close to  your body as possible and never at arms length
- To push than to pull

Driving
- When getting into and out of the car stand with your back to the side of the seat and lower yourself into the seat, using your hand and the door to support yourself.  Bring your feet into the car turning your whole body without twisting your lower back.  To get out of the car do the opposite
- When lifting things in or out of the car boot do not lift objects at arms length and avoid twisting
- When sitting in the front of your car do not twist and reach into the rear of the vehicle

Over activity/Pain/Rest Cycle
Chronic pain usually leads to a reduction of activities in your life and the way you do things.  This may vary from person to person.  Some examples are listed below:

- Working on restricted duties or giving up work completely
- Doing less housework and home maintenance
- Overdoing things (pushing yourself) then having to rest
- Doing fewer enjoyable activities
- Engaging in fewer social activities
- Taking pain killers, tranquillisers, or sleeping tablets

As a consequence these changes can become habit and you begin to feel you are stuck in a rut.

A common problem for people with chronic pain is pushing themselves until the pain tells them to stop.  They subsequently rest, perhaps take some painkillers and wait for the pain to ease.  Once feeling better they get up and try again only to find the same thing happening all over again.

How can you break the cycle and keep active?

Firstly you need to realise that you are in this cycle and then you can look at a technique used for managing chronic pain – pacing. 

Pacing
The aim of pacing is to maintain an even level of activity throughout the day.  There are 3 main aspects to this.

Firstly PRIORITISE what needs to be done.  Choose the most important activities to be done each day/week.

Secondly PLAN the week out, making sure you spread walking, sitting and standing activities out over the day.

Thirdly PACE yourself.  Think little and often remembering to change position before the pain begins to increase.  For example if you are standing try sitting or walking for a couple of minutes before returning to what you were doing.

Remember – avoiding doing things works well for the short term but can make things more difficult to face in the long term.  It is not a good idea to base what you do on how you feel as you will end up doing too much on good days.

Goal Setting
It is important to gradually increase the amount you can do, once you are able to maintain an even level of activity by pacing yourself. 

For example if you can walk for 10 minutes each day, your first increase would be to 11 minutes.  Continue with this amount until you are confident you can increase by another 10%.

If you decide how much to do, then you are in control, not the pain.

Practical Advice
Try to establish a regular routine at bedtime.  Taking your medication an hour or two before you go to bed can give them time to take effect.

Heat packs such as wheat bags which are heated up in a microwave oven can help relieve some aches and pains when placed against the area of suffering.

Tell your family and friends when you need help to carry out a task and when you prefer to do something yourself.

The internet is also very useful and informative.  If you are experiencing difficulty in getting out of the house, why not use the grocery store websites to order your food shopping and they deliver it to your door.

Some other websites that can offer help, support and information on chronic pain are:

www.britishpainsociety.org
www.backcare.org.uk
www.painconcern.org.uk

Relaxation tapes and CDs are also helpful.  These can be obtained from local libraries.

A useful book to help you manage your chronic pain is:
“Manage Your Pain” by Nicholas, Molloy, Tonkin and Beeston (2003) London Souvenir Press

Do you care for someone with chronic pain?  If so do you feel you need help and support in being a carer? Carers Bucks may be of interest to you.  They offer information and advice, support groups and a listening ear.